Not every adventure is planned, not every great place is scheduled in advance, sometimes you just luck in to awesome.  That’s what happened on our way from Atlanta to Luray, Virginia when we needed a one-night stay.  We found the Mayberry Campground outside of Mount Airy, North Carolina, and to coin the great Bob Ross, it was a “happy accident”.   Yes folks, we’d stumbled upon the inspiration for Mayberry and we were going to see everything we could.

Mount Airy

Mount Airy is nestled in the mountains of North Carolina is the quintessential small town.  The town of about 11,000 people is nearby a lot of attractions like the Blue Ridge Highway and Yadkin Valley Wine Region, but it’s also the boyhood home of Andy Griffith and inspired the setting for the tv show, “The Andy Griffith Show”.   We were going to make the most of this one-nighter.

Mayberry Campground

The Mayberry Campground sign says “Come as our guest, leave as family”, and that is truly how we felt in this small town.  The campground was only $34.20 for the night using the Good Sam and military discount and had views of the Blue Ridge Mountains.  Its wide sites surrounded by large grass areas were fantastic…and easy to back into!  The campground was a great place to spend the night and we could have stayed comfortably for days.

Working 9-to-5, wow!

Knowing that we had limited time in the area, we set up camp and set out to explore Mount Airy and “Mayberry”.  It was late afternoon and many of the shops were on business hours. Things were getting ready to close up so we drove around for a while to see some of the town.  That drive led us to the Mayberry Squad Car Tours, which advertised 45-minute tours of the town in an old police car.  They were booked for the remainder of the afternoon but after talking with one of the drivers, we got set up for a special tour the next morning before opening hours.  

Buon appetito!

Our search for activities left us hungry and a few locals recommended The Gondola Italian Restaurant so, of course, we had to go.  General rule of thumb, if the locals are recommending it, and the parking lot is packed, it’s gonna be good!  We weren’t disappointed.  The food was superb, from the garlic bread to our pasta and dessert.  We definitely carb-loaded that meal and we left happy and slept well that night in anticipation of riding through Mayberry in a squad car.

Squad Car Tour

The next morning, we showed up at the tour company. It looks like a setting from the Andy Griffith show complete with Wally’s Service Station, the Mayberry Courthouse, the high school, and of course, the Darlin’s house.  Our guide, Mark, showed up early as promised and we hopped into an old 1950’s police car.  The tour included a history lesson of Mount Airy, Andy Griffith, and the setting of fictional Mayberry.  Mark was a fantastic guide and added quite a bit of humor to the tour.

Granite City

One of the first things we learned about the town is that it was also known as Granite City.  The largest open-faced granite quarry in the world is located here.  The North Carolina Granite Company has been in business for over 130 years and is still operating today. The granite from the quarry was used to build numerous buildings in the town and many of them were on our tour.  From multiple churches to small and larger homes, granite is everywhere.

You can’t understate the amount of work that goes into building with granite and Mark did a great job of explaining how they constructed many of the structures.  He also impressed upon us just how expensive it can be to use granite as a building material.  If you think you can easily afford a granite homemade by fine craftsmen then you might want to think again.  It isn’t cheap!!  

Not every building in town is made with granite though.  Main Street is lined with many buildings from the late 1890s that are in phenomenal shape.  Mark stated this is due to the fact that North Carolina gives a tax credit to those who own a historic structure and backdate it to its original look.  Apparently Mount Airy puts that benefit to good use as its buildings are in such great shape.  The tour wasn’t just granite and buildings though. 

Andy Griffith Show Memories

One of the perks of riding in an old squad car is getting to act out some childhood dreams.  Yep, we got to blare the siren as we cruised down the road.  The guides aren’t allowed to do it for very long but the few seconds made all of our faces light up.  Especially Corbin’s, the siren was the highlight of the tour for him and he kept begging Mark to do it again (yes, he obliged one more time but only for a split second).

The siren sound brought back memories of the Andy Griffith Show and the next stop on our tour was the Andy Griffith Playhouse, one of the venues of the Surry Arts Council.  The council sponsors plays, concerts, and other events in the area.  Our stop at this venue was for a photo op with a statue matching a very famous part from The Andy Griffith Show.  Sheriff Taylor and his son Opie walking down to the fishing hole.  You all remember it from the opening credits to every episode (it’s okay to whistle the theme song while you do it, we did).

You can stay at Andy’s house!

The final stop on the tour was Andy Griffith’s boyhood house.  Andy was raised in a small modest home on a quiet street. It’s easy to see how memories of his childhood and this neighborhood could inspire the streets and homes of Mayberry.  Mount Airy Hampton Inn rents out Andy’s house for nightly stays. 

Our tour ended back where it began, in front of Wally’s Service Station, and the short 45-minute outing left us smiling. The hometown of Andy Griffith has so much to offer and we wished we’d had more time to stay.  We would have loved to visit the Andy Griffith Museum and to learn more about area.  Maybe we’ll go back one day, there’s always Mayberry Days where people come from around the world to experience “Mayberry” and enjoy a great small town. 

Our time in Mount Airy was truly a “happy accident” and one that we’ll remember forever.  If you’re headed through North Carolina, make this a stop on your itinerary.  We highly recommend the Mayberry Squad Car Tours, whether you’re in town for a few hours or a few days.  The experience will leave you for a greater appreciation for this quintessential small town and might just leave you longing for a simpler time. 

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